Safety-razor.



K. C. GILLETTE.

SAFETY RAZOR. APPLICATION FILED IAN. 23. I9IIl Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

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Specication of Letters Patent.

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Application led January 23, 1911. Serial No. 604,073.

To all whom t may concern l Be it known that I, KING C. GmLE'm'n, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Brookline, in the countyof Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Safety-Razors, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to safety razors of the ldetachable-blade type,and resides in certain features of construction and arrangement whichare hereinafter set forth and which 'have to do more particularly withthe parts which compose the blade-holding and handle portion of therazor.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a razorembodying my improvements, as preferably constructed; Fig. 2 is asimilar View, showing the head of the razor in central section fromfront to back; Fig'. 3 is a rear elevation of the head of the razor;Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view of the same, following the line min Fig.3; Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views similar to Figs. l, 2 and 3 respectively,illustrating a modication; and Fig. 8 is a top plan view of lin the formof razor shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the holder comprises a handle2, a head 3 attached to one end of the handle, and a detachable blade 4which preferably has but a single cutting edge and is provided along itsopposite edge with a reinforcing strip 5. The front edge of the head isprovided with a guard such as a line of teeth 6 of suitable form, andwith stops preferably consisting of upwardly-projecting lugs 7 locatedat the opposite ends of the line of guard-teeth for engaging the tttcutting edge of the blade at its ends and holding said` edge inoperative position, at the same time covering the corners thereof. Theblade 4 is positioned in an endwise direction by means of lugs 8extending upward from the head 3 and located at such a distance apartthat the adjacent portion of the blade will drop freely between them,and said blade is supported at its rear edge and also pressed forwardagainst the-stops 7 by means of a combined support and back clamplocated at or near the rear the head and mounted to have a movement byvirtue of which it may be operated to release the blade or causedtoengage the same and hold it in operative relation with'the head 3.This back clamp, as

rocking edge of passing through a againstv the handle 2 and tends tothrow the upper end of the strip forward. At its upper'end said strip 9is provided with prongs bent to form jaws which receive the rear edge ofthe blade 4 between them and provide a support therefor as well as aclamp for pressing the blade forward and holding 1ts cutting edgeagainst the stops 7. The prongs above referred to are preferably threein number, and according to the arrangement shown in Figs.2 and 3 themiddle prong 12 is bent forward and downward to support the rear edge ofthe blade at its center, while the other two prongs 13 extend .slightlyabove the rear edge of the blade, 1n position to press downward as wellas forward thereon and thus hold the blade upon the supporting prong 12.

The strip 9 is held in place and permitted to rock in the head-3 byvlrtue of notches 14 provided at its edges, the slot 10 having a shorterextension at its rear which receives the strip 9 between the inner endsof the notches 14 somewhat loosely. This position of the strip ismaintained by means of the spring 11, which presses the strip rearward,the upper portion of said'st'rip being held in fixed position by theengagement lof the prongs 13 with the blade 4 when'the' latter isinserted and bythe engagement'of the free end 'of the prong 12 with thetop ofthe head 3 when the blade is removed. 4These parts are soproportioned that when the blade' -is in position in the holder theprong 12 will be lifted slightly out of contact with the top of the head3, so that the prongs 13 must necessarily press upon the rear edge ofthe blade. The slot 10 is made large enough to permit the doubled lowerportion of the strip 9 to be inserted through it from the upper side ofend of the spring and the notches 14 rear extension of strip will springscribed. w

ln the modification shown in Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, the combinedsupport and backclamp for the blade is of slightly diferent shape andcomprises a transversely-extend 11 passes below the head are broughtopposite the into the position above dethe head 3 until the free saidslot, whereupon the ing bar 9 which is pivoted at itsvends in theupstanding lugs 8 and thus provides for the rocking movements abovedescribed. This form of the combined support and backclamp, like the onefirst described, is preferably made of sheet metal and operates in thesame way. It is shown in Figs. 6 and 7 as having its middle prong 12extending upward and forward to press upon the rear edge of the blade,its other two prongs 13 being bent downward to support the rear edge ofthe blade and form stops to limit the rocking movement of the clamp whenthe blade is removed, but the number, arrangement and relative locationof the prongs may be varied, if desired. Either of the arrangementsabove described, however, has the advantage that the engagement of thefront edge of the blade at its ends and the rear edge of the blade atits center or thereabouts provides a three-point bearing for the blade,so that said blade is firmly held in exact position without possibilityof rocking or remaining out of contact with any of the blade-engagingdevices.

The lower portion of the back clamp, being located near the upper end ofthe handle and in the rear of the same, is in convenient position to beengaged and pressed upon by the thumb of the user for lifting theupwardly-extending clamping prong or prongs to'permit the insertion orremoval of a blade, and the construction above described is alsoadvantageous for the reason that it enables the holder to be produced atslight expense, since each part o the holder except the handle may bemade from a single piece of sheet metal and quickly and easily assembledwith the other parts, while the handle may be made from a metal rod andreadily produced' by automatic machines of a well-known type.Furthermore, the parts of the head 3 are of open construction andtherefore easily kept clean, while the fact that the holder has but onemovable part and no adjustments makes it very durable and not likely toget out of order. The described construction also provides for insertingthe blade without having to slide it under overlying parts or otherwisemoving it in any manner which might cause its cutting edge to be dulledby contact with any part of the holder; all of which advantagescontribute to the practical utility of the ra zpr, as will be evident.

I claim as my invention 1. In a safety razor, a holder comprising ahandle, a head having a guard and stops for positioning the cutting edgeof the blade with respect to' the same, a spring-actuated blade-clampingdevice constituting a separate member from the head and mounted to rocktoward and away from said stops, said device being provided above thehead with means for pressing forwardly against the rear edge of theblade to hold the latter against the stops and also with means arrangedto extend beneath and support the rear portion of the blade whenunclamped, leaving said blade free to be lifted upward from the head,and lugs for positioning the ends of the blade and providing anupwardly-unobstructed space for the reception and removal of the same.

2. Ina safety `razor, a holder comprising a handle, a head havin a guardand stops for positioning the cuttlng edge of the blade with respect tothe same, sa1d head being provided at its rear portion with atransversely-extending slot having a wider and a narrower portion, and acombined blade support and back clam of such width as to pass throughthe wider portion of the slot and notched to enter and take a pivotalbearing in the narrower portion of sa1d slot.

In testimony whereo I have hereunto this twentieth day of KING C.GILLETTE.

subscribed my name January, 1911.

Witnesses:

E. D. CHADWICK, OLIVER R. MITCHELL.

